fighting fish?

[Frogspawn]

I purchased a o. clown fish 2 months ago and I purchased a smaller o. clown fish today and put the new one in the tank and it seems the bigger one is picking on the smaller one. Is this normal and will they stop.

should i place the new fish in my refuge?

it seems that the new fish enters the older clown fishs area. hes adopted the frount left cornor as his home and the new guy seems to think he can go there. i see the new fish come back for more and i am not shure if they are even fightin. just niping or playing tag like my daughter thinks lol

 

[tecwzrd]

Very normal and it may not stop in the smaller tank.

When adding semi-aggressive fish of the same species it's best to add them together if different sizes or if latter then the same size or slightly larger since the dominate fish is usually the first fish there.

Rearranging rock work and/or time may help, but for now I'd keep the lights off till they settle down. (your corals can go a day or two without issue)

 

[Frogspawn]

well i placed the new fish in the refuge for a peacfull place to rest for a wile. i will keep him there for a wile. and feed him high protine foods. and hope he can hang with the other fish?

should i get a in-tank refuge so that the other fish can see him in hopes of getting use to him?

 

[surjer]

I was reading somewhere that you shouldnt isolate the new fish. If anything isolate the exisiting fish.

 

[melosu58]

Rearranging rock work and/or time may help, but for now I'd keep the lights off till they settle down. (your corals can go a day or two without issue)

This has always worked for me with fighting or agression.

 

[Frogspawn]

hmmm good idea.. i never though of that? any one else read that? that would give the smaller fish time to find his own adopted home. but from what i seen he happen to like the same cornor as the larger clown.

 

[melosu58]

any one else read that?

This is not anything I`ve read just IME

 

[surjer]

hmmm good idea.. i never though of that? any one else read that? that would give the smaller fish time to find his own adopted home. but from what i seen he happen to like the same cornor as the larger clown.

Thats where the rearanging of the rock comes in handy I guess....

 

[Frogspawn]

so in you guys experience i should place the larger fish in the refuge and the new one in the main?

 

[Innovator]

The newer one will get picked on regardless. You have an ocellaris already established and by adding a smaller ocellaris, the larger will show territorial dominance. As long as the smaller clownfish is not physically being beaten or fins torn, I would not worry too much about it. You will also note this behavior in pair-bonding, which could be a possibility for them if she accepts. IME you are preventing the inevitable, which is a confrontation.

 

[tecwzrd]

Have you tried lights out? I know rearranging rock work is a pain and you have done it a couple of times already to accommodate your coral but considering the smaller tank it shouldn't be too much of a chore.

IME banishing the aggressive fish temporarily rarely works but they will either resolve their differences and find common ground with new defined areas, you will have to return one of them, or the aggressive fish will eventually stress to death/kill the other one.

That's why community peaceful fish are best suited for smaller tanks. Either that or do not get the same species of aggressive fish unless it's a mated pair.

 

[Frogspawn]

wow u guys are great. u bring up so many ideas to think about. thats what makes u guys so good.. when i think i am getting this hobby down pack u guys show me theres still more to learn.. i think i might just let nature takes it course and see what happens i will let the new fish in the refuge for a few more hrs till he gets better use to the water. and ten release him in to the main. and keep the lights out for a few days(2) and hope they get along. its kinda my fault i should have knew they would fight being they were the same fish. i though mabey since the were tank bred and raised they would be ok.
thanks for all the get info.
i have a another question about a clam but i will post that in a different thread. i dont like to mix things up.

 

[MT79]

Innovator is right. It will persist until one dies if they are both female. If one is female and the other male, or both are male they will pair after a hierarchy is formed w/ the female being larger and more dominant. Clowns are born male and the largest, most dominant fish becomes female. It can then not go back to being male. If the female dies, in nature, the next largest male steps up becomes female and takes over breeding.What your doing is called the grow out method. The fighting could go on for weeks or months until they pair, assuming conditions are right and they both are not female already. I recommend you read up about clownfish mating. There is a good amount of info available online w/ a quick search.
How big is the new one?

 

[Frogspawn]

the new one is very small compared to the old one. his color is not as bright and bold as the old one, i would have to say he less then half the size of the old Clown. i will take a picture later tonight and post it.

 

[MT79]

How big in inches will help figure out if the new one is still immature or male. If it is over 1-1.5" it may have undergone a transformation to female. Clowns housed singly will become female, so the one you have is most likely either female or on it's way to becoming female.

 

[Frogspawn]

so that would be a good thing? and i would have to say about 1inch mabey a little more. and the small one is no where near that.. he is just a small u can see the insides in him. he has to be no more then a few months old i would think

 

[MT79]

You want at least one of them to still be male. Being small is a good indicator of that. I would say w/ the sizes you described both being female should not be an issue. I would be inclined to say they will pair up w/ time. The fighting can look pretty bad at times, but IME the more dominant one will back off before causing serious damage. It took my clowns a few months to really get along well w/ each other and pair up. The smaller of the two hid b/c of the constant harassment for the first week or two. Be sure to try and target feed the weaker one to ensure it's eating and doesn't get too weak. I got my Occ clowns when they where both small, similar to your situation. After a hierarchy is established, and they pair, they will not leave each others side. Good luck

 

[Frogspawn]

this is so cool. but yet scarey at the same time. i just put the smaller on in the mian tank and it seems they were getting along. they swim beside each other around the torch coral almost side by side as if the other one was not even there. then after a wile the large one chases the small one kinda darts at him then back's off. i do notice the smaller on kinda seems outa breath his resperration is so so high.. he swims so fast around the tank and moves his body very rapidly. i sit in front of the tank to monitor them both to see if i can see anything to relay to u guys but its the same thing.. once the smaller on even moves his way to the larger one's cornor he darts at him and moves him away.
i am going to keep the lights off and light some candles and play some music in hopes of them bonding lol..
i will take a pic and show u guys. its kinda hard now do to its dark out and the lights are off. so i might have to wait till morning and turn them on a few mins to snap a pic.


later that night.
i do see his back tail fin has a little chunk out of it. and he has not stoped moving since i put him in there. i think the larger one has bullied him into doing laps around the tank. and kinda does a "U" shape swim patter against the side wall. i dont know how to explaine it better but he starts at the far end of the tank swims to the middle at the botom and swims up to the front cornor of the tank and then does it all over again.?
what could be happening?

 

[roka64]

By nature, the larger should become female and the smaller male. In nature, when the female dies, the dominant male will become female and the next dominant male will take his place. Pretty neat, huh?

 

[Frogspawn]

how do i care for this little dude now? hes kinda beaten up. this morning i seen a little chunk out of his right fin. the larger clown still once in a wile nips at the smaller clown. i hope this fighting ends soon. i guess if something happens to the small clown i will get a 6Line. some one a little bigger for him to try to pick on.
i know u said this fighting could go on for weeks. but is harming the other fish like this normal for bonding?